Monday, January 09, 2006

Undertenants Forever

It's hard to write a blog about the New York Mets during the winter months, and not tie it in to the Mets football brethren, the New York Jets. After all, the Jets were undertenants to the baseball club at Shea Stadium from 1964-1984. You see the Jets have had plenty of practice being the undertenants. For years the Jets played the first six games of their schedule on the road because the Mets did not want them to chew up the baseball field (the pourous infield of the early Mets did a great job of that by themselves, thank you.) The Jets even had to practice in Flushing Meadow Park, with the rocks and the gravel and the trees for goal posts.

Jets owner Leon Hess wanted a better facility (and cleaner bathrooms), so he went from being the Mets' tenants, and actually became the little brother of a competing football franchise, the New York Giants, as they moved into the Meadowlands. They did this, like Felix Unger, with the promise that one day they would return. Years later, after a failed attempt at a West Side palace, the Jets signed a deal with the Giants to build a new shared stadium and play as "partners" for ninety nine years.

The New York Jets...Just Renting For Over Forty Years, And Counting!

Of course, the Jets picking up shop and moving the whole operation to the Garden State means that the Met fan base will no longer be automatically linked to the Jets fan base, as it was from the 60's and 70's, all the way up until now. Way back when, if you were a Mets fan, more than likely, you were a Jet fan. Geographically, it just made sense. Now of course, it's all gone. To be a Met fan growing up now is to be a Met fan no longer automatically linked to another football team.

But with head coach Herman Edwards leaving the Jets (because the Jets can't seem to fire anybody fast enough before they leave), they're once more linked to the Mets. Because the last time the Mets were involved with a head coach (they call 'em managers in the summer) it was Lou Piniella who was angling his way off his employer, and Jose Reyes playing the part of the fourth round draft choice.

This resulted in Art Howe.

We know how that turned out.

Today, Jim Haslett visits with the Jets to talk to them about their vacant head coaching position. Jim Haslett...a coach with one less win than the coach who's leaving.

Jim Haslett: Autumn's Art Howe.

So how about hiring Art Howe to coach the Jets? How about being the Mets' little brother one last time and reaching towards the baseball world for their next head coach? It certainly would be a more prudent choice than Jim Haslett. Art Howe will come cheap and we all know that's what Woody Johnson wants. What? You say Art Howe doesn't know football so that would be silly? He hardly knew baseball! And he lucked his way into a good 65 wins a season. So what exactly is the difference here?

Because with Art Howe, you know the Jets will battle...because Howe will tell you so.

You play...

to keep...

it close.

Hello?!?

11 comments:

Jaap said...

What about when the Beatles played at Shea? Did the Mets have any little caveats, like not leaving screaming groupies lying nekkid and panting on the pitcher's mound or was that just considered like, biscuits for the grounds crew?

Metstradamus said...

Beatles fans were too nice to lie nekkid and panting. Now if it was a Stones concert...

HA!

Anonymous said...

Hi Metsradamus-

How frustrating are the Jets-perhaps sharing a building with them rubbed off on the Giants defense yesterday.

The jets ownship stinks and as long as it does don't expect any big name coaches to come through the interview process.

If you ask me, Bradway should go too.

Metstradamus said...

Shari, I agree with you there. I don't think Bradway has been a good fit but I'm not sure any coach that's out there is going to be that big a help to a roster that has so many holes...just like getting Lou Piniella wouldn't have solved anything in 2003 with the old roster the Mets had.

I fear, as others do, that Bradway will give his new coach less chance than he gave Edwards to be successful, and that they'll have to start over again in two years anyway. That's not a good outlook to give to your fan base.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry....we all know where the future is, even though they lost 23-0....

Go Giants!!!!!!!
2005 NFC Eastern Division Champs!!!!

Mario

Anonymous said...

metstra, great posts as always, but you should photoshop a mets hat onto nostradamus' head.

Anonymous said...

Bradway was impressive babbling his way through the press conference and handling all the tough questions by simply not answering them or by answering questions that were not asked. In fact, at times when he was stuck for an answer he simply answered a previous question all over again. This is our Fearless Leader. Ready to make all the tough decisions and answer all the tough questions, if not in any particular order. Be afraid; be very afraid.

Anonymous said...

The buzz is that they are going to go hard after Eric Mangini. Not that there are any guarantees that he will be a good head coach, but I wouldn't be upset if he got the job. Jim Haslett-no way, that will just make the situation worse. Mike Tice is another name being thrown around, but since they won't shell out the bucks for a head coach Mangini seems to be the best option.

I still wish Bradway would get the boot-the thing that did it for me was a first round pick for Doug Jolley, and then they barely utilize him in that putrid offense, and they few times he did he holds the ball a mile away from his body and drops it or fumbles.
Leaving him there is like when they Mets got rid of Bobby V and left Steve Phillips as the GM. If your cleaning house then do it all the way (Word was that the organization really wanted Herm to leave)

Anonymous said...

Speaking of sharing with the Giants? How about sharing Jim Fassel? Two division championships and a Super Bowl visit. That's about as good as its been for the Jets over the last 40 years! He also has a hunger and passion that won't quit. He knows New York and what it takes to make it here. He's also offensive minded (worked with Elway etc) and would help greatly in fixing the Jets' anemic offense. Fassel may be the best name out there and is dying for another shot.

Anonymous said...

Hey Jeterboy...

Fassel would be a great choice if he was going to get a QB like Young or Leinart. Because the Jets always seem to screw up when it counts most, they will not have a QB to draft. With Brees hurt, the Chargers are not going to trade Rivers. Who do they have...Bollinger showed some flashes but he is raw and short. Pennington? 2 straight years with Shoulder issues...he might be done. Fassel's best bet...with Billick still in Baltimore and Boller actually looking like the QB they drafted from UCLA, I think he stays there.

Metstadamus...any thoughts on this?

Mario

Anonymous said...

As a "new" New Yorker, it's been driving me crazy that no one really knows the correlation between being a Jets and Mets fan. Thank you so much for answering my question!